Attractive Bent-Gender: Though it's not really an outright gender bend, Natsume just gets possessed by a Youkai who happens to be female, and who occasionally slips to the surface causing him to to exhibit feminine qualities (sometimes seemingly having longer hair). All of his friends start finding themselves disturbingly attracted to him.

Proves to be this in episode 35 where he was one of the bazaar workers. He attracted a lot of female customers.

When he first transferred to his current school, it's pointed out that he was a hot topic among the girls.

In episode 5 of Shi, Yuriko mentions that the girls in his class thought of him as "cool and calm".

Chronic Hero Syndrome: Gradually develops into this. Though he used to help youkai reluctantly, Natsume will rush headlong toward Youkai, and all kinds of other danger if he knows someone is in trouble, knowing full well that his opponents are more often than not much stronger than him.

Classical Anti Hero: He's an ordinary human minus the ability to see youkai, and is filled with self-doubt and trust issues.

Consummate Liar: Zig-Zagged. Natsume would usually have to lie in order to cover incidents created by youkai because years Cassandra Truth during his childhood taught him no human would believe him. However, thanks to the help of Fujiwaras and his friends, he has learned to open up to people and has even found others who he can talk about his problems. Because of this, in more recent chapters, people who are close to him can now tell if he is lying or hiding the truth (secretkeeper or not) though they don't always choose to voice it. For the most part

Conveniently Seated: Natsume sits in a seat by the window between his friends, Kitamoto and Nishimura. This gives him a view to see if there is anything (or anyone) strange nearby. Inconveniently, it also allows to be more easily startled if something does pop up.

Curtains Match the Window: Natsume is a blond with gold eyes. Somewhat averted in the manga, where the eyes are more green than silver.

Cuteness Proximity: A mild example, but Nyanko-sensei calls him out on it once, saying he's far too nice to youkai he thought were cute.

Parodied: Natsume's sometimes give this look with often Nishimura and Kitamoto unintentionally at the receiving end, usually after dealing with youkai. Played straight during the school festival in chapter 26 when he initially suspects they are possessed. However, in more recent chapters, they now assume he just not feeling well.

Deadpan Snarker: Though only to Nyanko-sensei and Natori. It has died down the later but still tends to amp up the snark around whenever the situation calls for it.

Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: He frequently knocks out strong youkai with a punch, the most frequent victim being Madara. It's useless against humans though, since it's his Soul Power which does all the work, rather than his physical strength.

Distressed Dude: Natsume has the bad habit of getting captured frequently. For instance, in episode 5 of season three, he gets captured by an ayakashi that's intent on cutting off his arm so that it can use it to retrieve its lost head. Natsume's friends are left frantically searching the house for him. He's also been kidnapped by Matoba two or three times. Nyanko-sensei usually bails him out when he doesn't get out himself.

Dragged into Drag: In one of the drama CD's he's forced to play the part of a girl in one of Natori's dramas.

And so he tries to act manly and uses masculine speech, according to Word of God.

The following exchange near the end of the second season highlights on it:

Kai: ...Sorry for calling you a sprout, a chopping board, and a girly boy...

Natsume: Ah, w-well, i-it's okay...

Tanuma, Taki & Sensei: (suppressed snorts & laughter)

Natsume: ...Notamusing!

Trio: (guilty, somber, not meeting one another's eyes) ...Right!

When Natsume shows his friends his parents photo, they compared him to his mother at instant, not father.

Dude, Where's My Respect?: Despite his young age, he has an incredible amount of spiritual power, but whenever he goes to exorcist gatherings with Matoba, he's forced to hide his identity and pretend to be a youkai servant. Because of this, most other exorcists are oblivious to his talents and treat him like a lackey.

Identical Grandson: Natsume Takashi looks a lot like his grandmother Reiko, original owner of the Book of Friends. and since many (if not all, Hinoe certainly seems to express a preference) Youkai don't really care too much about gender, Natsume tends to get Youkai who are looking for his grandmother on his tail.

Not Good with People: While his ability made it hard to talk to people in general, this seems especially with children.

Orphan's Ordeal: A good bit of Natsume's difficulty with people (and his reluctance to tell the Fujiwaras about his abilities) stems from the fact that, up until then, he was passed around from relative to relative because nobody wanted to deal with the Creepy Child that kept telling "lies" about seeing ghosts and Youkai.

Abusive Parents: Chapter 31 confirms that several of the parents he's lived with were physically or emotionally abusive.

Parental Neglect: Also confirmed in the aforementioned chapter that some of Natsume's parents also forgot to feed him as well.

Papa Wolf: He develops this for Tama. He refuses to hand him over when confronted by Isozuki and was willing to die to protect the little creature he cared for.

Parental Abandonment: Natsume's parents are dead, and every single family he's lived with before the Fujiwara's looked forward to the day he left their family, since he could see spirits.

Plot Magnet: Both because of his powers and because his connection to Reiko.

Power Incontinence: Due to how powerful he is, his spiritual power sometimes leaks out into inanimate things without him being aware of it. On two occasions, he has created vessels (a snow bunny and a mini clay cat respectively) which both got inhabited by powerful spirits. Another time, he re-animated a small man-made youkai from the scraps of special paper that got attached to his clothing.

Silent Scapegoat: Natsume often wound up as one in his adolescence, when Ayakashi started causing acts of vandalism around him; his options were either to let everyone believe he was some sort of delinquent, or let them believe he was some sort of crazy delinquent.

Socially-Awkward Hero: He was unable to make any friends as a child because of the discovery of his connection to spirits. He's slowly growing out of this, though.

Amplified Animal Aptitude: Downplayed but Nyanko-sensei seems to be really good with his fingers/paws in cat form. For example, he can hold chopsticks, hold teacups, reading the economic section of the newspaper, etc (though he still relies on Natsume for opening cans and such).

Creepy Good: Very much on Natsume's side when Matoba darkens the young man's door again. The exorcist tries to blackmail Natsume into helping him. This time however, Madara doesn't even get upset. He just smiles at Matoba throughout, with menacingly yellow glowing eyes, encouraging his retainer to go because "the more exorcists around, the more filling his meal would be".

Jerk with a Heart of Gold: For all his claims to be a ruthless, cruel and uncaring monster who threatens to eat other youkai or humans on a whim, Madara is astonishingly benign compared to many other youkai that appear in the series. The jerk image stayed for a little while to begin with, but is completely shattered when Madara pulls a Ghibli-style rescue on a little girl who fell down a cliff. Wanting the Yuujinchou was definitely one of his most important motives, and even this is called into question when Madara tempted Natsume to drink mermaid blood. Natsume called him out on this, saying if he was immortal, Madara would never get the Yuujinchou, to which Madara lapses into silence.

Just Eat Him: What he has threatened to do to Natsume if the Book of Friends gets any smaller, but his (seemingly rather half-hearted) attempts always fail. He even unintentionally tries to "sleep eat" Natsume on occasion, which yields similar results.

He often forgets the deal he made with Natsume, embellishing it with many small details, such as saying that he's being given permission to eat Takashi when he dies to other rival youkai.

Noble Demon: Madara continues to insist that he's really nasty and uncaring and only hangs around Natsume because the latter is his prey (or alternatively his servant). He's not really fooling anyone.

Not So Above It All: Nyanko-sensei regularly brings up his truly awesome powers and the fact that he is "not a fortune cat, damn it!"—until Natsume starts petting him, or waves a toy in front of his face. Or he spots a grasshopper. Or a little girl has fallen down a cliff and needs rescuing.

Obfuscating Stupidity: Knows far more about spells, all matters Youkai and half-bloods, than he's willing to tell Natsume.

Papa Wolf: Quite literally, given his true form. Don't harm Natsume if you know what's good for you.

Parent For A Day: Type 1 in some of the recent chapters and the OVA where he gets stuck taking care of lost kid(s). He's had Hinoue's help in one of the instances and disregarded Natori's and the dog circle youkai in another. Averted in the de-aged chapter where he pushes the responsibility of younger Natsume to Tanuma and Taki's care.

Action Girl: You know you're one when you can defeat every single ayakashi you come across. Two bullies throw a rock at her and she manages to knock it back with a stick, without flinching or hesitation.

The Fujiwaras

Good Parents: She shows genuine concern for Natsume despite not sharing any blood. She first visits him and offers to take him in despite the rumors about his reputation. She also scolded Natsume when he suddenly left the house for a day without giving her proper notice.

Muggle Foster Parents: He is unaware of Natsume's ability, though it is possible that he might suspect something. His kindness has helped soften Natsume's outlook on life.

Open-Minded Parent: One chapter has Natsume completely wreck a room due to an exorcism spell in order to get rid of youkai that cursed the house. When Shigeru stumbled upon this room, looking like a very familiar incident of the past, he lets it slide as he knew Natsume did not purposely try to wreck the house. In later scenes, we do see him being more supportive of Natsume and him being against putting too many limitations on Natsume's freedom.

Natsume's Classmates

Action Survivor: Deconstructed in the Omibashira arc when Tanuma is forced to become this after Natsume is kidnapped to become a meal offering. Despite the strain from being near youkai, he does manage to disguise himself as a one and sneak into the place. He tries to free the real Natsume by making a bluff but almost gets caught and attacked. Things begin to go downhill from there

The Quiet One: At first, but that was only because an evil youkai cursed her, so that the last thirteen people whose names she says will die. Natsume helps her break it. After that, she became more like the Genki Girl.

Parental Abandonment: Downplayed but most of her family is out of the house: both her brother and father are overseas while her mom often comes late back from work, making Taki feel most closest to her grandfather who is dead.

Secret Keeper: Asked Natsume's help after hearing about his ability from a youkai. Along with Tanuma, she helps Natsume give distractions to his other friends.

The Smart Girl: She is very knowledgable of youkai folklore and its relations to the surrounding area, thanks to her grandfather's notes. Despite having the least spiritual aptitude out of the three, she is also the most component as deciphering writings and creating charms as seen in the hotel arc.

Unfazed Everyman: One of Natsume's friends who know his secret but doesn't have the ability. She still is quite knowledgeable about them and has encounters by herself, thanks material grandfather left behind. Chapter 64-65 actually explores on the idea if ordinary humans should have contact with the supernatural.

Missing Mom: While his mom didn't appear in Kitamoto's special focus chapters, it is mentioned that she is out working since their father is ill.

Nice Guy: One of Natsume's first friends after moving with the Fujiwaras. Warns him about the violent seniors and tries to protect Natsume twice from some unseen youkai during his special bonus chapters.

The Caretaker: Due to his father's illness and his mother working to compensate, he often takes care of his younger sister and father til his mother comes home.

Those Two Guys: Along with Nishimura, though contrary to the trope, they have fairly important roles in the plot as one of the few (non-psychic) people who are close friends of Natsume. They also get more screentime than anyone other than Natsume and Nyanko-sensei and a fair bit of fleshing out in the manga.

Chivalrous Pervert: In most series, he would not be considered this. In such a series as this, when he is the only one of Natsume's companions who has a crush on somebody and insists that they should have a cafe with bunny girls for the school festival, he comes off as one.

Innocently Insensitive: One of the author's notes in volume 13 states that he gets into conflicts due to this.

Exorcists

Big Brother Instinct: Downplayed but like Nyanko-sensei, he will like pull a Big Damn Heroes moment and pop up in the nick of time. Eventually deconstructed as he grows increasingly more concerned of Natsume's safety and involvement of youkai, especially knowing that Natsume's been hiding something dangerous from him. It gets to the point where he intercepts or investigates matters into Natsume's affairs behind his back. It does get reconstructed when Natsume does tell him the truth. While he still isn't always upfront, he allows Natsume to mostly handle it.

Fantasy-Forbidding Father: His father wishes to no longer be involved with youkai, and dislikes it when Natori spends time in the warehouse researching about them. To a lesserextent, Takuma wishes Natori to not be involved with exorcism.

Nice Hat: More functional than fancy, but it's become a trademark part of his usual disguise.

No Social Skills: During his high school years, he had a lot of trouble talking to people and would unintentionally seem cold and arrogant to his classmates. As he continued to attended exorcist meetings where he feels he could be more honest, he slowly grows out of it.

"Well Done, Son!" Guy: Downplayed but his relationship with his father and grandfather. They both seem to blame their family's misfortunes on Natori. Though he doesn't look too favourable at them either, he feels being a better exorcist he might be able to take their fears away. To a less of an extent, Takuma.

Blood Knight/ Spirited Competitor : Bordering between the two, seems to enjoy the challenge of a tough youkai, sounding especially disappointed when Madara wasn't going to fight back after pressing his berserk button.

Enemy to All Living Things: His clan is notorious for their exorcise methods and contracts. Matoba himself makes it clear of his disdain for them. Youkai aren't particularly fond of him either except for some of his servants.

Not much nicer to humans either. Was initially going to leave the rampaging youkai to harm the nearby town, along with the unconscious exorcist to die. Later on when he "invites" Natsume for tea, he tells how wonderful the Fujiwaras were "for taking care of a seed so rotten that harmed other children".

Manipulative Bastard: He manipulates Natsume into helping the Matoba Clan expose an exorcist possessed by a spirit that hates the Matoba Clan and attacking them by conveniently leaving out exactly who was being attacked. See also Blackmail above.

Nominal Hero: In the manga, he actions are done moreso for the benefit of the clan. While he believes ayakshi are tools, he shows no strong feelings and has no problem treating humans similarly if they can be used as such. He can also be very harsh and blunt when doing so.

Pragmatic Hero: Saves Natori and Natsume from the sealed youkai by killing it, not to mention being the one who helped awaken it in the first place.

Tactical Withdrawal: Does this twice: once when he found out a youkai was too powerful and incompetent to be controlled, another when he learns Natsume's companions would out-power the ones he had. He doesn't feel much of a lose the second time since he notes there are other ways of getting Natsume's help.

Villain Takes an Interest: Like Natori, he wants to take Natsume under his wing and join his clan. Justified as the number of people with the ability of the see youkai diminishing rapidly and so clans are desperately looking for future heirs.

Well-Intentioned Extremist: Constantly insists to Natsume that what the Matoba clan does to youkai is necessary for the good of humans, even if they end up hated by humans by themselves.

Jerkass: Like Matoba, she uses youkai as bait to draw in powerful shiki and sees nothing wrong with it. The anime's back-story reveals that she does not mind exorcising youkai as she is taught it is the way to keep the world in balance.

Benevolent Boss: Unlike most of the exorcists shown so far, he seems to care about his shiki very much, even spending time with them after they complete missions. He was very hesitant on exorcising them, even though it placed his family on risk. After he loses his sight, they still remained attached to him. One desperately tries to break into his house just so she can talk with him and becomes very sadden when she understand he can longer ever see her. Another doesn't mind waiting in the house as housekeeper and waiting till he dies instead to dissolve the contract.

Big Brother Mentor: Though initially did not want Natori to go into exorcism, he had looked after Natori when he started out.

Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Believes kids should not be involved with ayakashi if they don't have to and chides Natori from visiting exorcists meetings. He doesn't like when his daughter getting involved on his behalf as well.

Retired Badass: He used to be an exorcist but he can no longer see by the time we see him in present day. Though we never see him in action, the kimono test put him on the same level as Natori, if not slightly behind.

"Well Done, Son!" Guy: Downplayed since Natori interests are also of his own initiative and since Takuma is not cold but because he prioritizes Natori's safety. However, the younger Natori feels the need to prove himself as an exorcist to Tanuma and took the Tri-horn ayakashi to gain both his and other exorcist's respect as well.

Precocious Crush: Maybe, but he probably just really, really, really admires and looks up to Natsume as a Big Brother Mentor. The rock god's "humans, ayakashi, and beasts have different times" speech to the fox child in season three about why he and Natsume shouldn't be together and his resulting angst seemed to imply something else though.

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